


DGRP 42: Mimetic Desire

by luckora



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Attempted Murder, Canon-Typical Violence, Class Trials, Fanganronpa, High School, Murder Mystery, Original Character-centric, Snakes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-06 09:13:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21224159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckora/pseuds/luckora
Summary: Tashiki Raphi has well deserved the title of Ultimate Architect, even earning a few architectural design prizes while being such a young student. It is therefore no wonder he would be selected to join the Epigraph Academy for Gifted Students. However, things do not go as planned for those who thought that graduating would be an easy job, and grant them a happy life.They will have to bloody their hands if they want to get out of here alive.(Based on a fanganronpa game project on tumblr, but goes differently than the game as to avoid spoiling it, just in case)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Hello! Author here! Just coming in to say that this story is not set in stone, and if you have any suggestions for murders, I will consider them!  
After all, I have to find a way to make it different from the final game but, if I think too hard about picking the victims and murderers, then everyone will know that they didn't do it in the final product, huh?
> 
> So yeah! Hope everyone will have a good time reading this!
> 
> Buh bye!

Today marks a new beginning.

I am Tashiki Raphi, a pretty average high school student. Well, average… not really, as I’ve already won a few prizes when it comes to architectural design. I’m fairly skilled when it comes to designing buildings and even sometimes interiors! It is the only thing I’m confident in about myself, my only talent really, but, just because I can’t hate every single part of myself, I would say that I absolutely deserved title of Ultimate Architect.

Today is the day I will realize my lifelong dream. From now on, I’ll be a student of the well known Epigraph Academy for gifted students, a place where fellow ultimates are about to meet up and, where students who graduate are promised the most wonderful of futures. The place to which the train I am currently sitting in leads to.

This train does feel a little bit lonely though. Sure, Epigraph Academy was built fairly recently, but still. I briefly wondered if there were any other talented students here with me, but as all evidence suggests, I am quite alone.

Seriously, the empty train is starting to freak me out. There’s no reason to be freaking out that much though, I guess I’m just a little bit anxious about meeting everyone…

Speaking of, I’ve obviously done some research. I’m sure the others have too, and some of them are either pretty famous or mysterious and unique sounding! I’m excited to see how well we’ll all get along.

Abruptly, the train stops, causing me to violently fall on the ground. A cheery voice reveals the name of the stop:

“Epigraph Academy! Epigraph Academy, last stop! Everyone out!”

Someone ought to fix that! Seriously, I could have gotten hurt!

I do as told and exit the train. The station looks abandoned and there isn’t a soul. Just one glass elevator in the middle of it, and some welcome banners, sporting the school’s emblem which is a strange geometrical figure.

I let the doors of the elevator close in front of me, the same way that I close my eyes.

I am sure everything will go smoothly.

The last thing I hear, as I am lifted away from the station, is a train wrecking itself against a distant wall.

The last thing I remember thinking is that someone should **DEFINITELY** fix that.


	2. Meet 'n Greet! (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Raphi meets his fellow students! Part one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have chosen to introduce students in groups of five, much like the danganronpa games. I feel like having them all in the same chapter would suck, so that's how I'll do it.
> 
> Also since the prologue was reaaaaaaaally short, I am posting this one today as well.

At one point, I must have fallen asleep but now I’m up again.

Geez, my memory really is foggy now, I can barely remember what was going on. What day are we again? I look around to see that I’m sitting at a desk in an average looking classroom without any windows.

Right. Epigraph Academy. Of course.

The class has a projector, displaying the following message on a board:

“Please head to the gymnasium for the entrance ceremony!”

Argh, of course! The entrance ceremony! I have yet to meet everyone! How could I fall asleep in the middle of the day? Way to make a first impression! I’m sure everyone is there already!

I grab my backpack and run out the class. It appears that the floor outside is made of glass, and that the corridors between classrooms consists in a few transparent catwalks, suspended way above ground. I glance below to see that there is a large rectangular building, with a basketball painted on the roof.

The gymnasium, I think.

I just need to make my way down from here.

While the classroom was dark and windowless, the rest of the building is filled with light, that reverberates on the walls and glass passageways. It gives off a very modern, and slightly alien spaceship vibe to the whole area, but there are also some plants here and there, in pots hanging in mid-air through a bunch of cables. The greenery helps the place look a little more lively, and gives me a feeling of ease.

I love this building. This is some fine architecture right there. I’m sure whoever built this school would definitely have deserved the title of Ultimate Architect, huh? Unfortunately for whoever that is, it was not the case in the end…

I eventually find the elevator, and descend to the bottom floor. The one with the gymnasium. I can see a few students standing there, almost looking hesitant to enter. Damn, I’m sure I’m late! They’re all here! I can recognize some from the pictures I found on the internet, I need to introduce myself before it’s too late!

“Oh look, there’s another one!” says a pink-haired girl in shorts in a high pitched voice.

“Is running in the halls even allowed here? This is a school, I mean…” mumbles some very tall guy draped in some sort of cape.

“Good day.” Says a guy who looks like a total creep.

Oh geez, I’m facing some celebrities right here! I mean, maybe some of them have heard about me, but what’s an architect compared to a box champion, or even a world famous mathematician? I’m just some guy who designs buildings, and they’re here, winning medals or discovering new theories… I feel like an impostor.

It’s okay, Raphi, you’re just talented in another domain is all.

“Is everyone here? I have waited long enough.” Says a tall girl with spiky hair that I do not recognize.

“There is sixteen of us. And that’s how many there was supposed to be to begin with. As stated in the school files.” Answers a guy with glasses and a red scarf that I don’t recognize either.

“Good. Good. Let’s get on with it and introduce ourselves or something. Time is money.” Says the tall girl again.

So I was the last to come in indeed. I guess it is time to figure out who everyone is.

Let’s start with those I know from my research:

First, the pink haired girl. She’s **Kanga Ryuuko**, and although she looks like a tiny frail girl, the huge golden belt she wears is proof of her Ultimate talent. Kanga Ryuuko has never lost any box match. No matter how much bigger than her her opponents are. She is truly amazing, and it is hard to picture who could strip her of the **Ultimate Boxing Champion** title.

“Hey! Stop staring at me all in awe and stuff like some creep! Nice to meet ya and stuff, but if ya stay here one more second I’ll totally punch ya!”

Ryuuko seems to have an attitude, but even if it’s coming from such a small girl, this is no empty threat. I’ll just walk away to someone else.

While we’re on the topic of sports, here comes the **Ultimate Soccer Player, Miguel Fernandez Costa**. A tall, friendly looking guy with tan skin. He’s wearing the colours of his team, and his smile shines like the sun. I’m not much of a soccer fan, but everyone knows this guy, he’s truly a soccer prodigy.

“Yo dude! This place rocks! I mean, I’ve peeked around and there’s actually a football field! Isn’t that neat? We should definitely have a match there, I’m sure it’ll be lots of fun!”

Miguel looks really nice, and, honestly, I kind of would have wanted to talk longer, but the creep comes at me again.

“Good day.” He repeats as he shakes my hand. It feels gross.

This guy. **Koukei Aruka. Ultimate Mathematician**. A weird guy with messy hair and a dirty black coat. I don’t know much about his personality, but I’ve heard he is extremely hard to work with. He does give online classes to whoever is able to understand what he’s rambling about. Math experts themselves are lost, sometimes.

“Want to know where to get a gun? I know a few places. Cheap. Good quality.”

Uh… yeah. I’ll step away. If he ever lets go of me…

I look at some other students with pleading eyes, hoping for them to understand that I am in need of immediate rescue. The rescue arrives, under the form of a totally average guy.

“Hello, I’m Saitou Haru. Nice to meet you!”

It makes me shiver how average his introduction is**. Saitou Haru** is well deserving of the **Ultimate Normie** title. There is nothing much about him in articles, but most information can be accessed through social media. He is actually the most average guy in existence, leading the most average life there is. Everything about him is average, and he can only be described by listing everything that is not special about him. Average brown hair, average brown eyes, he looks just like the protagonist of an average visual novel. Except he’s lacking the feature that would distinguish it from another visual novel protagonist.

The guy in a cape from earlier rolls his eyes. There is also very few information online about him, but the few who described him did it perfectly. Tall, wearing a royal purple and gold cape with chestnut designs embroided on it, and pants in bright colours, similar to a painting of Mondrian. This has to be **Kabado Jeremy, the Ultimate Art** **Critic**. He is extremely charismatic and is well known in the art industry.

“I think this place needs to be redecorated entirely. It also needs more goats.” He says.

Well, we're off to an interesting start, aren't we? This place sure is full of interesting people, but there's no time to waste, as there are ten other students to meet, among which some that I don't know at all!

here are the characters introduced thus far:

Tashiki Raphi, because I forgot.


	3. Meet 'n Greet! (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being so late with this! Here is the second batch of students!

Alright, that was one third of the other students, let’s meet some more!

I move over to another group of potential friends, these ones I know too, more or less. One of them waves at me. She is a tall and beautiful girl with tan skin and brown hair. I recognize her instantly, with the help of her green white and red, Italian flag themed, clothes. How wouldn’t I have heard of the wonderful **Yui Aldini, Ultimate Pizzaiola**? Her father’s pizzeria grew extremely famous since she’s begun working there, her good looks along with her pizza skills have made her very popular online.

“Like what you see, huh? It seems what they say is true… the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!”

She blows me a kiss. Damn. She's just gorgeous. I’m pretty sure I’m blushing, and I try to look away as she giggles.

My eyes fall on another girl, with a much more reserved appearance. She is short and blonde, and stares as me as if she was trying to analyse who I am. She has a sunflower in her hair, and I recognize her face from some articles I have read. **Oozora Ana, the ultimate psychologist. **She is known for her brilliant analysis on how human personalities work, having invented her own psychology testing methods. She has already written a few books. She’s quite the prodigy indeed.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like you, along with everyone else, to fill in this sheet…” she says as she hands me a piece of paper. It’s pretty cute, with a drawing of a little cat on the back.

I thank Ana for the paper, and I shove it into my backpack. Not sure if I’ll manage to remember about it at all, but I’ll give it a shot.

Let’s see who else I know…

Oh of course. How could I have missed that one…

There she is, standing tall in all her glory, with a red hat on her head. Her back straight, and her long red skirt covering her all the way to her ankles. She brushes her braided hair over her shoulder in one dramatic move. Half of her face is covered by a mask, and the other half shows a disdainful expression. This is **Ophelia**, or should I say **Murai Hisako, the Ultimate Drama Actress. **She is of extreme beauty, but doesn’t look like the kind of person I would get along with.

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” she snaps, feeling my gaze on her. She let out a long sigh before shooing me away. Yeah. Not sure I’m making a good impression on anyone…

I turn around to see if there is anyone that looks like I could have an actual conversation with and holy shit, is that a snake?

That’s a fucking snake, crawling onto my leg. I’m frozen into place, why the fuck is there a snake here? I start screaming. Ophelia turns towards me and screams as well, along with Ana who was one of the closest. I'm actually pretty sure that Ana has fainted, but I'm can't be 100% certain, as you know.

The fucking snake.

How did it even get here? Get off, get off! Shit, it’s hissing at me, and it’s huge and… oh my god, I feel faint. Guess this is how I’ll end up dying. Fucking murdered by a bastard snake. Who’s even going to put that snake on trial?

“Oh shit I’m sorry…” says someone.

Whoever he is, he takes the snake off of me and wraps it around his neck like a fucking scarf. I am not sure if I should hate this guy or not, since he removed the snake BUT he is clearly his owner. I, along with everyone else who was freaking out, try to get back to my senses.

Tall guy, green hair, snake designs on his shirt. That’s gotta be **Kondou Hebi, Ultimate Snake Charmer.** There’s no way anyone else would have a snake around their neck like that. He looks like a chill guy, but I’m not going to trust him as long as he has that scary as fuck snake with him. Also why the fuck is his name Hebi? He’s literally called snake! That’s gotta be a fake name somehow, some made up shit like Ophelia, only with less imagination.

“Yeah, hum. Sorry to have freaked you out, dude. Nice to meet you and stuff.”

He attempts to shake my hand but I’m still shaky and I jump back. He seems to understand and shrugs, going to scare the fuck out of someone else, probably.

Then…

Oh.

Then, there is another one I know, a short and chubby girl with a plastic square stuck in her perm, but…

Well, she looks at me with the same kind of confusion I must be exhibiting, I suppose.

“Who… who are you? I’m sorry I feel like I’m remembering wrong.” She says.

“I’m Tashiki Raphi, the Ultimate Architect.”

My answer causes her to frown.

“That’s wrong, I’m the… Ultimate Architect. I’m sure I am. **Sanjyou Ryou, the Ultimate Architect**.”

Yeah, that’s also what I remember. But I am the Ultimate Architect.

“Maybe there are two Ultimate Architects?” I suggest.

She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest.

“There is only one Ultimate Architect and that’s me! Why do I remember you being the Ultimate Architect as well?” she asks, anger burning in her tone.

“Whoah geez calm down… but, maybe you’re the Ultimate Architecture Student? After all, I’ve never been to any design school… I’ve just won some prize for designing the Plazza Grand Hotel with some blueprints I made… Maybe you’ve got a backstory a little more official than mine?” I ask, but she does not seem to be calming down.

“Hey! What the hell?! This is MY story you’ve just told! I am the one who designed the Plazza Grand Hotel! You’re just…. Argh! I don’t understand what’s going on!”

Now that I think about it, according to my research on her, that’s also how she got the Ultimate Architect title… something is clearly wrong here.

“I don’t understand why I remember that also being your backstory when I looked you up!” she whines, “I don’t understand why it’s only started bothering me now that I’ve met you in person!”

So she… remembers us both being the Ultimate Architect, and with the same exact story. Yeah, that’s a little bit weird, I should ask some other students if they have any weird memories about us being the Ultimate Architects…


End file.
